S48.E07: Keke Palmer / SZA

[formerlyfreedom]

Quote

Actress/singer Keke Palmer hosts, plus music from SZA.

Airing Saturday, December 3, 2022.

[Pete Martell]

[formerlyfreedom]

Ok, ‘Keke, that’s the wrong amount of days!’ made me laugh and gave me a teeny bit of hope that the episode will have some good moments!

[Irlandesa]

8 minutes ago, saoirse said:

Ok, ‘Keke, that’s the wrong amount of days!’ made me laugh and gave me a teeny bit of hope that the episode will have some good moments!

My favorite part was him critiquing her magic skills as the ladder and chairs in the background started levitating.

I don't know about the writing but I have no doubt that Keke is going to give it everything she has...which is a lot.

[rollacoaster]

Keke is gonna be fire, and will spark everyone else! Here's hoping the writing is up to it. 

And, looking forward to seeing the Black cast members in more skits than usual! 

[mariah23]

Well Keke Palmer made a big announcement just now: she’s pregnant!

[Ms Blue Jay]

Keke is making this show so much cooler by being here.

3 hours ago, rollacoaster said:

Keke is gonna be fire, and will spark everyone else! Here's hoping the writing is up to it. 

And, looking forward to seeing the Black cast members in more skits than usual! 

So far, very good.

[Spartan Girl]

KEL!!!!!!!! 🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉🎉

[Ms Blue Jay]

This is a crazy show so far.  There's barely any commercial breaks.  There's just constant sketches!

[JeanJean]

Weekend Update was on fire tonight!!!!   😁

[Ms Blue Jay]

I can't stop laughing at Bowen saying 

"Alright I've made my decision.  I've consulted with the gods PLURAL"

Ego:  "We go to Catholic School!"

Bowen:  "Oh grow upppAHHH"

[Galileo908]

Cold Open: Herschel Walker sketch! They managed to mine humor out of him despite the real thing talking about vampires and werewolves. I thought there'd be more of a punchline than Mitch tossing him into a giant safe, but oh well.

Monologue: Keke Palmer already bringing in some much needed energy tonight. I had no idea she was only 29?! And what a reveal that she's pregnant, to boot. That makes her the second pregnant host, the first being Tina Fey back in 2011.

Forecington's Ridge: I loved this the moment we first saw Cecily and Bowen in 80s cake makeup in a Dynasty spoof and it didn't let up. I was hoping that Keke wasn't doing her own stunts considering the reveal in the montage, and I laughed when we saw the actual stunt doubles pop up at the end.

Big Boys: Finally, a song about me. I'm not the only one who saw the brief frame of Garfield over the lasagna, right? 

United Tingz of Aubrey: What a weird sketch, about a union of all of Drake's exes, but I was here for it.

Hello Kitty Store: Yeah, Sanrio confirmed a few years back that Hello Kitty is just a cat-shaped human. And that's what they made a sketch about? I had no idea about Dear Daniel, though. Now that raises further questions. But yeah, Hello Kitty lore is weird, and I appreciate people taking it seriously. And then it got crazier, and Natasha Lyonne showed up. Why do I get the feeling that this was meant for a John Mulaney episode?

Kenan & Kelly: Oh hell yes, a sketch directed at me! A gritty Kenan & Kel reboot but with Keke Palmer as Kel. Loved that they wrote in Keke's pregnancy into it. And then Kel showed up! It only took twenty years for him to show up, and he didn't disappoint.

Arby's: You gotta love commercial sketches that start out looking indistinguishable from the real thing. It's the sponsored content sketch, but this is how you do sponsored humor. Make you really question how they run their business, and never answer the question. Loved the lampshade that it's the same guy doing that commercial and Taco Bell. I had no idea it was Ving Rhames.

WU: Oh, they got lots of Kanye material this week. "Omicron Variant of Kanye" is the best description of what we've been bombarded with this week. Che get a lot of groaners this week, I loved it. It feels like a joke swap. Loved Colin's "what's the N in N95" bit, too.

Florida's key demographic: grandmas under thirty.

Michael Longfellow's bit was great. And Sarah's face did a lot of heavy lifting in her rant about Peppa Pig. I don't think she blinked once, which made it even better. I lost it at "I don't have kids...anymore."

Ultrasound: Hey, they incorporated Keke's pregnancy into a sketch. Naturally, Bowen and Sarah played the twins. Did not see two fetuses pogoing on IUDs and paying for Filet o Fish with their own money somehow.

O Holy Night: "Because art is not fair!" Sums it up, really. A real "nothing" sketch, sadly. But impressive that it was the one of the only duds outside of the cold open.

Flight Attendants: A fun five to one. The "Whites Only" sticker killed me.

Well, this was a good one! I'm hyped for next week: Steve Martin Short!

[Ms Blue Jay]

What a great show.  How exhilarating.  I think I pretty much liked every sketch?????????  Even when the sketches weren't that great, I was having fun?    I even liked BOTH songs by SZA?????  And of course the Big Boys video.  What world is this?

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Mediocre Gatsby]

3 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

O Holy Night: "Because art is not fair!" Sums it up, really.

It was weird that "You are the new Funny Girl" was followed here on the west coast with a plug for this week's Seth Meyers shows, including Lea Michele. 

[Galileo908]

2 minutes ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

What a great show.  How exhilarating.  I think I pretty much liked every sketch?????????  Maybe the Arby's was a low point?  And the flight attendants, maybe?  Oh and I didn't care about the cold open.  I even liked BOTH songs by SZA?????  And of course the Big Boys video.  What world is this?

It helps that the host was 100% game for anything and comfortable and loose on the stage.

[Ms Blue Jay]

9 minutes ago, Galileo908 said:

It helps that the host was 100% game for anything and comfortable and loose on the stage.

Obviously Keke was a major part of it.  I don't even know her child work, but I saw her in "Nope" and she was just this glowing star through the whole movie.  I also know her from "Hustlers".  Other than that I just think it's funny videos from the internet, like when she decried Rose in "Titanic".  She 100% was voicing everything I had already thought when I saw that movie.

Anyways, she's got some magical "IT" quality.  She's funny, a great singer obviously.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[SunnyBeBe]

That’s the best SNL I’ve seen in a long time.  It was consistently good across the board.   I chalk it up to Keke. The only part I didn’t like was the Weekend update joke about Michael Jackson and childhoods.  I don’t find comments sbout child abuse funny, but other than that I enjoyed it a lot.  
 

Is next week’s show with Steve Martin and Martin Short new?   

Edited December 4, 2022 by SunnyBeBe

[MrWhyt]

very funny solid show, funniest and most consistent of the season IMO. Only sketch i didn't like was the last one so good timing there. WU continues to kill.

[MarquisDeCarabas]

I admit once I realised the Drake sketch wasn’t about His tendency to hit on underage girls I kinda lost interest in it. Didn’t help we had bad directing. This new person still needs some work huh

[Ms Blue Jay]

Wasn't it?

Sarah said that Drake sent her a Bobby Hill GIF, and she responded "Who is that?"  I assumed that was an age joke.

[Slade347]

This was an interesting episode for me in that I don't think there was anything that would be a candidate to make my Best of the Season list, but at the same time there wasn't anything close to a dud, either. It was almost as if was 90 minutes of solid singles & doubles. That's definitely not a bad thing, though, given the possible alternatives. 

[Peace 47]

1 hour ago, Galileo908 said:

That makes her the second pregnant host, the first being Tina Fey back in 2011.

Kerry Washington was pregnant when she hosted, too!  And she was great.  I best remember her “What did the fox say?” parody with Jay.

I thought Keke was great, but I did not like the episode as much as you all posting here, just because I thought the lows were lower than the highs.  I thought the cold open was another boring political dud, the soap opera sketch was stupid, the ultrasound sketch was not funny (they’ve done this before, right?) and the “big boys” song was just not to my taste with the weight-based humor.  The rest was enjoyable, often because of Keke.  And although I didn’t think the audience was totally feeling Longfellow’s bit on WU, I thought he was great.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Peace 47

[LennieBriscoe]

1 hour ago, SunnyBeBe said:

That’s the best SNL I’ve seen in a long time.  It was consistently good across the board.   I chalk it up to Keke. The only part I didn’t like was the Weekend update joke about Michael Jackson and childhoods.  I don’t find comments sbout child abuse funny, but other than that I enjoyed it a lot.  
 

Is next week’s show with Steve Martin and Martin Short new?   

It should be new; tonight's was, and the 17th is. 

[Mibbitmaker]

The Steve Martin/Martin Short episode is new. The only other time they hosted SNL together was with Chevy Chase in the 1980s, promoting "Three Amigos. This one makes sense because of their two-man show and Only Murders in the Building.

[Trini]

20 hours ago, Galileo908 said:

... I had no idea she was only 29?! And what a reveal that she's pregnant, to boot. That makes her the second pregnant host, the first being Tina Fey back in 2011.

I actually did think she was younger, so thanks for the update Keke!

And I was going to ask if she was the first visibly pregnant host, so thanks for the info.

This episode was good for all sorts of info for me; now I know how to pronounce SZA!

Loved the soap opera sketch with the stunt doubles; but then my DirecTV cut out and I missed most of the Big Boys video and whatever sketch was after. 😠

I was going to say that this might be the first time the show has directly referenced Kenan's pre-SNL Nickelodeon career, but then I remembered they had him in a 'Disney acting class' sketch before. With them actually replicating the Kenan & Kel show so much, I was thinking "Kel BETTER be showing up", and he did!! So happy!

New featured player who did the divorced kid bit on WU -- I don't know your name yet, but you have been noticed!

Great job Keke! Please invite her back!

Edited December 5, 2022 by Trini
gah - dropped word!

[Ms Blue Jay]

The entire time the Drake sketch was on, I was wondering if it was a direction reaction to this

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[vb68]

I was interrupted by a phone call right as the show was starting and the person was going on and on, and I just wanted to say "can I Please call you back? SNL is on."  But I knew how that would go over. lol   Anyway, it took me awhile to get caught up.

Keke is by far the best host of the season. She was completely into it and you could tell it meant so much to her. I hope she gets an Emmy nomination for hosting.  You could tell she was going to be good just from the monologue. And I didn't realize Akeelah and the Bee was her first movie. Wow. Haven't thought of that movie in a long time.

Anyway "Big Boys" was the best music video/sketch they have done in forever. It reminded me of "Twin Bed", which must be 10 years ago now.

Not sure what to make of the Hello Kitty sketch. I can just see my niece staring at me if I were to tell tell her that Hello Kitty was a human. lol

It was a little disconcerting (for some reason) that Sarah was from my city in the Drake sketch.

Is the Soap Network still a thing?  I'm sure that went under some time ago. I use to love the Krystle and Alexis catfights. You could always tell Joan Collins used a stunt double. And honestly I wish the channel was still around. Knots Landing is a show that should be revisited. Anyway.

Sarah is the new Kate as far as kooky characters go on Update.  And Michael Longfellow (funny name to write out) has a good sense of rhythm on there as well.

Fleetwood Mac never did the show? I was looking for a Christine McVie tag.

Come back Keke. 

Edited December 4, 2022 by vb68

[cpcathy]

Good show. KeKe had tons of energy. I’m confused as to why Steve Martin and Martin Short aren’t hosting the Christmas show. The Austin Butler Christmas show sounds about as fun as the Amy Adams Christmas show turned out. Blah.

[SHD]

The two jokes that saved the airplane sketch for me were the Whites Only bathroom and the happy 90th birthday to the pilot. 
 

For some reason, the Arby’s sketch cracked me up. I mean, we all think that, right? Where is that meat coming from that it’s so cheap?

Too many line timing issues and flubbed camera shots. The new cast member who reminds me of Melissa McCarthy…they don’t seem comfortable with the live aspect yet. And Mikey Day is starting to look like he’s thinking “Maybe I should’ve left before this season too.” He’s been reduced to the “WHAT is going on here?!” guy too often.

Fun host. I hope they have her back.

[SoMuchTV]

6 hours ago, vb68 said:

I was interrupted by a phone call right as the show was starting and the person was going on and on, and I just wanted to say "can I Please call you back? SNL is on."  But I knew how that would go over. lol   Anyway, it took me awhile to get caught up.

Man, if I got a phone call at 11:30 at night, someone better have just died or just been born.  But you could very well live in a different time zone than I do.  Or just have a very different life ;-)

[SunnyBeBe]

47 minutes ago, SHD said:

The two jokes that saved the airplane sketch for me were the Whites Only bathroom and the happy 90th birthday to the pilot. 
 

For some reason, the Arby’s sketch cracked me up. I mean, we all think that, right? Where is that meat coming from that it’s so cheap?

Too many line timing issues and flubbed camera shots. The new cast member who reminds me of Melissa McCarthy…they don’t seem comfortable with the live aspect yet. And Mikey Day is starting to look like he’s thinking “Maybe I should’ve left before this season too.” He’s been reduced to the “WHAT is going on here?!” guy too often.

Fun host. I hope they have her back.

The Arby’s skit got to me because I recently had some friends tell me they got their Arby’s sandwiches home and they smelled so bad they had to throw them away!  

[Ms Blue Jay]

3 hours ago, SHD said:

Too many line timing issues and flubbed camera shots. The new cast member who reminds me of Melissa McCarthy…they don’t seem comfortable with the live aspect yet. And Mikey Day is starting to look like he’s thinking “Maybe I should’ve left before this season too.” He’s been reduced to the “WHAT is going on here?!” guy too often..

Wow.  These were my EXACT thoughts last night.

I've said before, I think first when "Parks and Recreation" was a big thing, that it's a pet peeve of mine when writers continuously fall back on the type of humour that's just one person who's incredulously pointing out the things that are happening.  Ben was that person on P&R and I've only noticed that 'humour' on shows more and more.  Cece on "New Girl" - that was her only role.   It's always the same.  One person is doing something, and That Person is just there to dryly state "You guys are literally (doing the thing that they're doing)."  It's not humour, to me.  Yet I only see it happening more and more.

Mikey Day was doing that so much in the Arby's sketch, and basically the entire Hello Kitty sketch was that too.  They kinda made the Hello Kitty sketch work, because Bowen is so funny, and some of the lines were ok.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Joimiaroxeu]

Sorry but I didn't need to see Keke's baby belly, repeatedly. Congrats to her but I don't want to see that on SNL.

The Dynasty take-off was hilarious. Keke's character said her mouth is "exit only"? Whaaat?

The Big Boys song and video were funny, especially the visual shade they threw at The Worst Chris.

Shoaties. But geez, that was a long way to go for Keke to be able to say she wasn't Drake's Keke.

I enjoyed Michael Longfellow's bit during WU. The kid's got some comedy swagger.

Did we know before now that Keke could sing?

Keke used to be a co-host on GMA3 so I was hoping SNL would do something with the scandal that's erupted over there with the adulterous co-hosts. Guess not.

Not a bad episode, IMO. Keke brought a lot of energy. I also liked both of the songs SZA performed, though I'm curious why she went all Billie Eilish in those baggy clothes.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Joimiaroxeu

[Ms Blue Jay]

Billie Eilish didn't invent baggy clothes :)  It reminded me of totally typical 90s hip hop gear if anything.

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[giovannif7]

I would've enjoyed the Dynasty spoof a lot more if I hadn't seen the far superior version from Logo's The Big Gay Sketch Show that aired more than a decade ago. I wish Kate McKinnon was still around on SNL to recreate her Krystle impression from this earlier scene... (Warning - NSFW language)

[rmontro]

Well, I can't say I got any laughs out of this episode, but I am craving a Filet-O-Fish.

[Ms Blue Jay]

[Ms Blue Jay]

Keke has posted a long (positive, thankful) message on her Instagram about the experience and her year:

https://www.instagram.com/p/ClwVMQ9uO1C/

Quote

keke

Verified

I had such an amazing time hosting SNL! Truly such a unique experience, I learned so much. The cast was incredible, I was so happy to be taken into their home for such a short time. Being around so many others that appreciate and put their all into their craft was especially fulfilling. I love to preform so much.. I love bringing laughter and good vibes and just taking us all away for a moment. Even if not just for myself, but for whoever wants to join. I thank Steven Higgins and Lorne Michaels for sharing their insight with me, I was soaking up every minute. I love being around the goats chile! Forever a student… Who could’ve told little me that I’d be on stage with @kenanthompson and @iamkelmitchell for a Kenan and Kel/Kelly reunion 🤪 — I would’ve passed out. These brothers are ICONS. Talent like theirs is hard to come by, there’s a reason why we loved that show and it’s cause they knew what they were doing. Even as kids! Thank you @nbcsnl and also the WRITERS! The incredible writers that give and give and give everyday, no matter what you see or what you don’t see these people put their hearts into it. Art is your heart so it isn’t always easy, but they still get out there and that’s just amazing.

This year has taken me for a ride! And how cool, my baby and I are already doing it all together. Thank you God! Thank you to my amazing parents and family who continuously support me. Thank you @noraradd for being my spiritual sister as ALWAYS! You feel me my little Pisces moon 🥹. Thank you to my team who have been constantly reaching and moving mountains to extend the reaches of my gift, and thank you to my other half @dvulton for giving me the things that only true unity can bring. Love is all we have isn’t it, you do nothing in this world alone and trust me, I am not alone! Very grateful… Happy Holidays!

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[Trini]

3 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Did we know before now that Keke could sing?

Yes!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keke_Palmer_discography

[Ms Blue Jay]

I always liked this song by her.  

Edited December 4, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[SHD]

7 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

I enjoyed Michael Longfellow's bit during WU. The kid's got some comedy swagger.

He reminds me of a combo of Pete Davidson (humorous WU pieces based on his life/upbringing) and young Jimmy Fallon (general attitude/look).

[Ms Blue Jay]

I always say Bill Hader but nobody else seems to agree lol.

[peeayebee]

Can't say I thought this was a very good ep, though Keke was high-energy, giving it her all. My problem was that I couldn't always understand her. She talked fast a lot of the time.

The CO wasn't great. Plus, the audience didn't seem into it. I'm assuming it was a very young audience that wasn't interested in current events. However, I did like Herschel referring to Mitch McConnell as Mitchell McDonalds.

The soap opera sketch was one joke that got tiresome pretty quickly. 

Didn't care for the Big Boy music video. Or the Drake thing. Or the Hello Kitty sketch.

Although I never watched Kenan & Kel, I did like this one a bit. Not a lot, just a bit.

I thought the Arby's sketch was the best of the show. So Ving Rhames really does the voiceovers for Arby's?

I still don't really care for Longfellow. He had some good lines in his WU bit, but there's something in his presentation that I don't like. Others on the show have bothered me in this way, too, where they don't really seem in character but smile too much, trying to appear likable? Happy to be there? *shrug*

Didn't like the babies in the womb or the school choir or the flight attendants sketches.

Just a bummer ep for me.

BTW, Keke did just win Best Supporting Actress for Nope from the New York Film Critics Circle. I need to watch that movie.

[Ms Blue Jay]

42 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Can't say I thought this was a very good ep, though Keke was high-energy, giving it her all. My problem was that I couldn't always understand her. She talked fast a lot of the time.

I agree, it was difficult.

42 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

BTW, Keke did just win Best Supporting Actress for Nope from the New York Film Critics Circle. I need to watch that movie.

I think Keke's performance will end up being looked at as being better than the movie as a whole.  She was very charismatic.

[Peace 47]

1 hour ago, Ms Blue Jay said:

I always say Bill Hader but nobody else seems to agree lol.

I know you were talking about his comedy aesthetic and presentation, but when I was looking at him on Saturday night, I said to myself that Longfellow looks like if Seth McFarland and Bill Hader had a child with more conventionally attractive good looks than either of them.

[SomeTameGazelle]

40 minutes ago, peeayebee said:

Longfellow. He had some good lines in his WU bit, but there's something in his presentation that I don't like.

My favourite part was about asking for a brother and getting one. (Oddly, I just read a section of a book today where one of the characters recalled her disappointment when they told her her new brother had arrived and it turned out to be just a baby and not a kid closer to her own age.) I thought he should have cut the "don't call me Shirley" bit though. 

I enjoyed Keke and getting so much Cecily and Bowen. I liked the way they framed the Kenan and Kelly reboot. 

9 hours ago, Joimiaroxeu said:

Shoaties. But geez, that was a long way to go for Keke to be able to say she wasn't Drake's Keke.

I thought there were enough other laughs to make the bit worthwhile even before they got there. 

[Ms Blue Jay]

20 minutes ago, Peace 47 said:

I know you were talking about his comedy aesthetic and presentation, but when I was looking at him on Saturday night, I said to myself that Longfellow looks like if Seth McFarland and Bill Hader had a child with more conventionally attractive good looks than either of them.

No I agree, he looks kinda like Bill !   It's the whole vibe, presentation and demeanor.

Edited December 5, 2022 by Ms Blue Jay

[heatherchandler]

2 hours ago, peeayebee said:

Can't say I thought this was a very good ep, though Keke was high-energy, giving it her all. My problem was that I couldn't always understand her. She talked fast a lot of the time.

I like Keke but yeah she was kind of incoherently hyper and I had to turn on the closed captioning.  Which is annoying because it’s delayed.  I don’t think she was very funny, especially in the monologue.  Really bad.

The show was a total dud.  The audience wasn’t into it at all.  Except for times when they went crazy laughing at stuff that was not funny.  The rebuilding years are rough but this is really bad.  

I did like Longfellow, but the audience didn’t get it.

[absnow54]

The back to back Kennan and Kelly into The Arby's bit, was the most I've laughed at SNL in years. Both sketches were totally on point. The Hello Kitty sketch was hilarious too, although I thought they announced she was an alien, and not a kitty shaped human. Still, I remember when the announcement was made and thinking, why?

I actually just caught Michael Longfellow's standup on YouTube a few days ago, where he did a similar bit about all of his dads, so it was strange seeing it immediately show up on SNL (although he flubbed the punchline.) I agree with the PP who compared him to Seth McFarlane. They definitely have similar swaggers.

I'm not usually a fan of Sarah Sherman, but I liked her Peppa Pig bit. I hope she does more characters and less of her amplified versions of Sarah(!)

[Milburn Stone]

8 hours ago, heatherchandler said:

 I don’t think she was very funny, especially in the monologue.  Really bad.

Proving that outrageousness, in and of itself, does not equal humor.